Heritage Challenges [1 available for reboot]

[Speeding Mullet]

HERITAGE CHALLENGES - THE ONE STOP SHOP
   

Welcome to the Heritage Challenges.  Here reside the Challenges so awesome, so timeless, so Kerbal that you will always find them even when they are residing in the boondocks of the forum.  If your challenge is featured in this thread I would encourage you to add the tag "Heritage" to your OP. 

THE AIM OF THIS PAGE IS TO IDENTIFY:

Currently open Heritage Challenges that may have slipped down the pages

Currently closed Heritage Challenges available for re-boot
 

WHAT IS A HERITAGE CHALLENGE / HOW DOES MY CHALLENGE BECOME HERITAGE LISTED:

A Challenge is considered to be heritage when it is:

In it's second (or more) iteration and still going strong
Identified as a thread of the month.
Accepted by the community in its first iteration as an amazing challenge by pure quality and volume of entries.
By peer review of 4 or more Heritage challenge owners
 

HOW DO I TAKE OVER A LOST CHALLENGE:

If the challenge listed in this thread is identified as closed then it is free to re-boot
If the challenge is not listed in this thread then feel free to ask, and the community (or the OP of the challenge where possible) will guide as to whether it's fair game.

 

 

OPEN HERITAGE CHALLENGES

Now in it's 5th iteration the Shuttle Challenge has gone from strength to strength, changing as the versions progressed.  In it's current format it's the ultimate selection of missions to test your mettle, presenting both serious engineering and flight challenges provided by @michal.don.  Check out the new badges too!
 

The Jool 5 Challenge.  I mean if you don't know this one where have you been??   To execute one giant mission, the bravest and craziest of all time, in which you will land on all the moons of Jool and come back in one shot is one of the longest running and most well thought out challenges on here.  Prepare to launch a behemoth, or try it with an SSTO.  Go for minimalist records it up to you, but this one is worth doing.  Trust me, I've done it twice!  Currently maintained by @sdj64 and originally created by @Ziv.
 

Originally by @Just Jim and now being maintained by @HoloYolo.  So you've completed the Jool 5 and now your KSP life feels kinda empty?  Well prepare yourself to visit all 14 bodies in the Kerbol system and return home to tell the tale.  It's easy, really, check it out!
 

The K-Prize.  This thread would be incomplete on every level if it wasn't featured.  Maintained by @boolybooly and started way back in 2012 (possibly even earlier) your task is clear - Design, build and fly an SSTO to orbit and back.  Simple you say?  Add a few Kudos points, or possibly even gatecrash, but if SSTO's have you tearing your hair out, or if your space program runs off of them this is the place for you to prove it to the world!
 

I can personally recommend this challenge.  On the face of it driving a rover in a circumnavigation of a celestial body might not sound like your idea of fun, but trust me its way up there as one of the most enjoyable experiences in my time playing KSP.  Pick your planet or Mun, go there, and drive the billy-o out of your rover.  Originally started by @Fengist, maintained by @Claw, and currently in @rkarmark's hands, its timeless quality make it a sure fire hit for the budding or seasoned explorer.
 

The premise of the challenge is simple. Show your support for our loneliest planet, Dres!  This is a challenge to perform a mega-mission to make Dres feel happy.  Go on, go to Dres and go large!  Mega large even...You know you want to!
 

Facilities upgrades are forbidden, crappy runway and launchpad mandatory.  Part count of 30 and a weight limit of 18t mean you are going to have to get seriously inventive to get anywhere.  But how much science can you do?  You need 1188 science points and it will test the limits of your ingenuity!  Just rebooted for 1.3.x by @The Dunatian!

 

Any and all of @Death Engineering's are worth doing.  They are consistently brilliant, well thought out and complex challenges.  This one in particular had me modding my copy of KSP to death (literally) in a failed attempt to re-create every little detail possible.  It will take time, but if you have time on your side and are looking for a brilliantly fun way to do Duna (and Eve) then this one is for you!
 

Dr. Jason Dworkin aka @IonStorm is the Project Scientist for the Osiris-Rex mission and creator of the challenge in which you have to create, launch, rendezvous, and return a sample from an asteroid.  I've returned a whole potato to Kerbin before, but never a bit of it, so go on, have a crack and engage with an actual Mission Scientist in this fantastic challenge!  Although the challenge is technically over,  you can still post entries for the fun and education of it all!
 

Why?  Because spinning up Kerbals to a 1000g and pressing decouple is a hilarious, and highly scientific pursuit.  Thread of the month in September 2016, @Cunjo Carl challenges you to fling your plucky Kerbal from orbit of Ike to a variety of places.  Thing is though, we now have auto-struts which injects new and interesting possibilities.
 

It wasn't supposed to end with Apollo 17, and with you in charge it doesn't have to.  Design a Rocket family to take you to the Mun and beyond.  With Super Manley Kerbanaut mode, and creativity encouraged throughout, this one could keep you busy forever!
 

Now in it's 4th plus iteration with many many entrants this is the classic get around the world challenge.  Your plane either has to make it, make it quickly, or compete for endurance and get round as many times as possible.  Are you an elite circumnavigator?  Prove it.

 

Rebooted by @53miner53 very recently.  Check in and have a go!  A Space Station built by the community, what could possibly go wrong?  I'm sure this station will be functional, efficient in design, and most importantly sensible on every level.  Well it's not.  It's a horror show and its absolutely fantastic!

 

Created by @keptin, and in it's second iteration by @Mjp1050, this challenge is all about updating Kerbal Express Airlines ageing fleet of regional jets and turbo props.  It's a big client, operating hundreds of airports around Kerbin, so get your aircraft hat on and go design the fleet!

 

Now in version two of the third iteration, twice reduxed (trust me it makes sense).  The Apollo style redux mission v2 by @Bottle Rocketeer 500, originally @Xeldrak tasks you with getting to the Mun and back in the good 'ol fashioned Apollo way.  With points for realism of design and accuracy of mission this is the challenge to run if you are into historic missions!

 

 

CLOSED HERITAGE CHALLENGES

Last post: August 2015
Last OP site visit: May 2014
Status: REBOOT IN PROGRESS - @eloquentJane

The Duna Permanent Outpost Mission Architecture Challenge was a great of it's day, and widely considered to be timeless.   Your first (and currently the only) job is to implement the President's Vision of "establishing the first continuously-crewed outpost on the surface of Duna" by the end of Day 500.  Featuring requirements for a single type of launch vehicle as well as a tightly defined mission cadence, you will have to consider factors such as efficiency, scientific value, safety & robustness, rather than things Jeb care about, e.g., "really fast", "massive" & "huge explosions".

Last post: February 2017
Last OP site visit: current
Status: Available for reboot

The Eve Rocks Challenge.  Everyone knows it as one of the hardest things you can possibly accomplish in KSP.   The surface of Eve is littered with the debris of launchers that were almost good enough.  Time to return to the ol' stomping ground with your mahoosive landers?

Last post: September 2017
Last OP site visit: current
Status: Pending 1.3 reboot from OP

I think there must have been a Stock Payload Fraction Challenge for as long as payloads existed.  Clear task:  Build and fly the most mass-efficient lifter possible to low Kerbin orbit.  How efficient are you though?!  Get the rulers out!

 

 

SM

Edited November 13, 2017 by Speeding Mullet
updated OP with challenge movements

[ottothesilent]

This is a really interesting idea. As an oftentimes forum-surfer, I'll appreciate not having to navigate my way through the morass that is the Challenges subforum. Keep up the good work!

[Magzimum]

Great idea for a thread. I have 2 proposals:

 

Eve Rocks Challenge

1st iteration, dead now. Not sure a second iteration has existed. Perhaps under a different name?

Classic in its simplicity. Good number of entries.

Dres Awareness, Show Your Support!

1st iteration. Best challenge ever. Most entries are in fact multiple entries because they encompass entire fleets, not single missions.

 

[JacobJHC]

Wait so if I completed the Jool 5 Challenge I just post my video here also?

[nascarlaser1]

4 minutes ago, JacobJHC said:

Wait so if I completed the Jool 5 Challenge I just post my video here also?

with multiple challenges, posting all the different attempts in 1 single thread may get cluttered/confusing fast .

[Speeding Mullet]

7 hours ago, JacobJHC said:

Wait so if I completed the Jool 5 Challenge I just post my video here also?

Nope, not the intended use at all, re-read the OP and you will see this is just an index - A place to see what the best alive and dead challenges are.  Definitely not somewhere to post entries to the challenges.

 

7 hours ago, nascarlaser1 said:

with multiple challenges, posting all the different attempts in 1 single thread may get cluttered/confusing fast .

Yep, and hence not what this thread is for!

9 hours ago, Magzimum said:

Great idea for a thread. I have 2 proposals:

Thanks!  i'll check these out later!

10 hours ago, ottothesilent said:

This is a really interesting idea. As an oftentimes forum-surfer, I'll appreciate not having to navigate my way through the morass that is the Challenges subforum. Keep up the good work!

Thanks ottothesilent!  I was wondering why no-one had done it before.  I mostly hang out in the challenge section and it sudden;y struck me when I was re-opening the Shuttle Challenge for the 4th time what a nice thing it would be to have!

SM

[GoSlash27]

I'll shamelessly nominate a challenge I started:

It's currently in it's 3rd iteration and maintained by @MoeslyArmlis. It was TOTM in Jan 2016.

Best,
-Slashy

[septemberWaves]

"Duna Permanent Outpost Mission Architecture Challenge" sounds like it could quite potentially become one of my favourite challenges around. The original poster of it hasn't been around since the middle of 2014, so I suppose it's up for grabs. @Speeding Mullet if no one else is claiming it, I think I might try to revive it, or at least start something very similar to it. It might take a while to properly set up though.

 

EDIT: I'm currently in the process of making a revival of this challenge. It might take a while to get fully set up, as I want to test out the concepts I'll be using. I'll make some changes to the rules to improve some things for challenge entrants (such as allowing slightly more versatility with launch vehicles), as well as reflect game updates if necessary (since the original challenge is really quite ancient). I may also modify the scoring system (once I figure out how it worked to begin with), but with all changes I make I'll try to reflect the aims of the original challenge.

I will also be expanding for other planetary systems; I'll have challenge variants for each stock planetary system (except Kerbin's moons because there's already a huge number of challenges concerning them), and will then expand to include modded planetary systems by request. I'll start by getting the Duna challenge infrastructure set up though; that was the original challenge so it takes priority.

Edited February 10, 2017 by eloquentJane

[Speeding Mullet]

11 hours ago, Magzimum said:

Great idea for a thread. I have 2 proposals:

Eve Rocks - There's a number of Eve challenges based around landers, and getting to orbit, but none as complete as the requirement to launch, reach, land, and return from Eve in the same mission.  This is truly a heritage challenge, and the OP has not checked in on the forums since November last year, and has also posted on the challenge to have it closed, insinuating they do not want to maintain this, or an iteration of this challenge.  It's up for graps and the OP will be updated shortly!

Dres Awareness - 503 posts and over 20 pages of challenge goodness for this lonely floating body.  It would be remiss, possibly even political to not feature this challenge in the Halls of Heritage.  With a last post in January, and OP @SpaceplaneAddict active on the forums this challenge will be included in the open Heritage Challenges!

Thanks for your suggestions @Magzimum

 

1 hour ago, GoSlash27 said:

I'll shamelessly nominate a challenge I started:

3rd Iteration and TOTM mean an immediate qualification to the annuls of fame - Good spot.  Looks like the challenge is alive and well, even if OP hasn't checked in since December people are still posting and chipping in so it will sit in Open Heritage challenges unless @MoeslyArmlis advises it's up for grabs

 

1 hour ago, eloquentJane said:

"Duna Permanent Outpost Mission Architecture Challenge" sounds like it could quite potentially become one of my favourite challenges around. The original poster of it hasn't been around since the middle of 2014, so I suppose it's up for grabs. @Speeding Mullet if no one else is claiming it, I think I might try to revive it, or at least start something very similar to it. It might take a while to properly set up though.

It's one of, if not the best challenge I have completed on here, and probably my first major challenge entry.  It took planning, spread sheeting, engineering solutions, clever design and execution of the highest order to meet the brief and I would thoroughly recommend you re-boot it.  I will put you down as the claimant, but if you feel you no longer want to re-boot at any point please let me know so I can make it "available" again.  Can't wait to see this one active again!  Sounds like you have great plans for this one.  Updating for new features in the game (such as re-entry heat and comms) would be perfect, and expanding to feature onward destinations was always something I was pushing Sturmstiger to consider.  I really enjoyed the single design launcher constraint, but I could certainly see that opened up to launcher "family" under the right circumstances.  Good luck updating and keep us posted

 

Looks like this thread is taking off now and early signs are that its a good idea and will be accepted.  I'll keep the justification in there for the moment as its still a very new thing, but eventually I will remove it and set the format.

SM

[SpaceplaneAddict]

I may be a relatively new forum goer, but I'm honored the Dres Awareness challenge was mentioned. I'll keep this thread in close tabs

[septemberWaves]

22 minutes ago, Speeding Mullet said:

I really enjoyed the single design launcher constraint, but I could certainly see that opened up to launcher "family" under the right circumstances.

I think the way I'll do it is to keep restricting launch vehicles, but do it in a different way. Perhaps something similar to the way that the Apollo program - and presumably other real space programs too - commissioned a certain number of a certain type of launch vehicle and had to restrict their missions to fit within those launching constraints.

What I'm considering right now is setting it up so that players must design one or two launch vehicles that fit a certain payload mass category (small/medium/heavy lift vehicle), and can use only a limited number of each before a certain goal has been reached (e.g. the 500 day milestone in the original challenge). I don't know for certain though, but I think, due to the potential range in payload masses (especially since I want to integrate Commnet into the challenge), I'd like to introduce a bit more versatility to the launch vehicles without making it too simple. I may allow variants (like how NASA has several different SLS rockets), or I may not, it will depend on how things go as I'm setting the challenge up.

Just to be clear, this won't be a carbon copy of the original challenge. It will be mostly based on it and I will attempt to inspire a similar style of play for challenge entrants, but it's going to have differences. This is probably unavoidable when a challenge changes hands (especially such an old challenge), but I feel like my own approach to the game lends itself towards a more serious style of challenge like this one anyway, so I think I can take it in the right direction.

Edited February 11, 2017 by eloquentJane

[Speeding Mullet]

1 hour ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

I may be a relatively new forum goer, but I'm honored the Dres Awareness challenge was mentioned. I'll keep this thread in close tabs

Let's face it, Dres needs all the help it can get.  Funnily enough the one and only time I've been there I actually thought it was rather a good spot!  You've been around since 2015 and have over 2000 post and major rep going on.  I'd say you are part of the wood work now, whether you like it or not!

1 hour ago, eloquentJane said:

Just to be clear, this won't be a carbon copy of the original challenge.

Absolutely!  It should be your take on the theme.  The Shuttle challenge carries the DNA of the original for sure, but it's changed a lot since it's original incarnation there's no doubt.  Take it and make it your own, and I'm sure it will be as loved as the original

 

In other news - I've added a heap of new challenges, and started to reach out to some specific users to find out if they would like their challenges featured and in what section.  Feel free to approach me on here or by PM if you would like your challenge considered, want to give it up, or just remind everyone of a lost great!

I've also added a ditty that encourages people to add the tag "Heritage Challenge" to their challenge OP if featured on this page.

 

SM

[septemberWaves]

Here's the thread I have so far for the Permanent Outpost Mission Architecture Challenge (which I might rename if I can think of a more eloquent way of describing it). It's nowhere near complete or even usable yet (I haven't even finished all of the rules yet) but it's there.

[sdj64]

Great to see an index thread of the greatest challenges.  It would be awesome to see some of the older challenges resurrected.  Though, I'm worried that this thread itself might drop off the first page because it doesn't have contestants to keep it bumped.  It would be a good candidate for a sticky.

 

I think the Ultimate Challenge should deserve a place.  Grand tour challenges are very hard to keep going until even the first entry is complete and the Ultimate Challenge is one of the few successful.  First posted by @Just Jim and now maintained by @HoloYolo.

 

Edit: Also Doing it Apollo Style (recently got a reboot) and Apollo Applications are both very good.  Apollo Applications might fit here better, for its greater ambition. @GregroxMun

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by sdj64

[Hotaru]

I love the idea of a thread to keep track of classic-but-abandoned challenges (like Eve Rocks, which I'd love to see revived), but to be honest I have mixed feelings about a thread claiming to keep track of the "best" current challenges. Seems like what could happen is any challenge that doesn't get listed here will be doomed to be ignored. I could be wrong, just something to think about.

[rkarmark]

Oh put this into closed challenges

It is fun as hell

Oh and a moderator should pin this

Edited February 11, 2017 by rkarmark

[nascarlaser1]

8 hours ago, rkarmark said:

Oh and a moderator should pin this

Here Here!

[SpaceplaneAddict]

12 hours ago, rkarmark said:

Oh and a moderator should pin this

This user by the name of rkarmark speaks truth!

[Speeding Mullet]

19 hours ago, sdj64 said:

Great to see an index thread of the greatest challenges.  It would be awesome to see some of the older challenges resurrected.  Though, I'm worried that this thread itself might drop off the first page because it doesn't have contestants to keep it bumped.  It would be a good candidate for a sticky.

Thanks!  That's definitely the aim for this thread - to see some of the best challenges re-booted, but also to provide a single source of inspiration for people that might be struggling with creating a good challenge.

Both the challenges you mentioned there I think are worthy of a place in Open Challenges.  I've been toying with the idea of the Ultimate Challenge for a long time for one, but it could take months before I post an entry.

 

19 hours ago, Hotaru said:

I love the idea of a thread to keep track of classic-but-abandoned challenges (like Eve Rocks, which I'd love to see revived), but to be honest I have mixed feelings about a thread claiming to keep track of the "best" current challenges. Seems like what could happen is any challenge that doesn't get listed here will be doomed to be ignored. I could be wrong, just something to think about.

Definitely want to see some of these challenges revived too, and with @eloquentJane on the way to reviving one, that has already begun which is perfect!  Eve rocks is a very different prospect to how it used to be and would be amazing to see re-booted.  

I understand your concerns, and this thread I really didn't expect to take off the way it appears to be doing, so maybe I need to be a little clever with the wording.  I don't aim to consign challenges not listed here to fail in any way
 

14 hours ago, rkarmark said:

Oh and a moderator should pin this

Thanks!  The Kerbal Dakar was TOTM in January, and is closed so it does qualify.  However as OP is active on the forums it would be only kind to ask @Triop if they plan to revive the challenge, or whether they would like it listed as a closed heritage challenge and available for re-boot

 

I've added a few new challenges to the open section, and also the Stock Payload Fraction Challenge to the Closed and available section!  Thanks to everyone requesting this as a sticky, that's really nice!

SM

[septemberWaves]

I would agree that this should be made a sticky thread. The Challenges subforum has been in need of a thread like this for a while. An index like this is definitely useful, and perhaps some of the closed challenges would've been rebooted much sooner had more people been aware of them (I'm amazed that no one's restarted Eve Rocks, for example).

 

Also, an update on the Permanent Outpost Mission Architecture challenge: the prototype rules system is pretty much done, though still subject to change. I'm currently working on overhauling the score system; the original system seems somewhat convoluted, and in any case I'd like to change things up a bit to reflect some modified goals as well as to add in some new ones (and I need to make it work with the ability to choose a location other than Duna).

If anyone wants to check out the thread, I'm open to comments and suggestions about the challenge development. I'd prefer to be sent a private message about any comments people may have, to keep the thread free of development-based clutter.

Edited February 11, 2017 by eloquentJane

[JacobJHC]

A while back I took over the Jool 500 challenge (with permission from @eloquentJane the original poster) for the current version. Should I put that challenge here so it can be added to the list?

[boolybooly]

Thanks for the plug mate

I think the idea of a one stop shop for popular challenges is a good idea. Which is why I vote a sticky for this thread ! 

What do you reckon @sal_vager ?

My guiding principle is what makes sense for KSP as a game and to that end I wonder if it would be an idea to incorporate some challenges into KSP via the mission system. I will keep going with the K-Prize challenge thread as long as people are interested but would be only too happy to hang up the tape measure, put my feet up in the Dog and Booster and let the AI take the strain!

What could possibly go wrong...?

 

 

Edited February 12, 2017 by boolybooly

[Speeding Mullet]

20 hours ago, JacobJHC said:

A while back I took over the Jool 500 challenge (with permission from @eloquentJane the original poster) for the current version. Should I put that challenge here so it can be added to the list?

I'll happily review the challenge thread(s) later on and let you know.  No need to post anything here, I know where they are

 

5 hours ago, boolybooly said:

Thanks for the plug mate

I think the idea of a one stop shop for popular challenges is a good idea. Which I why I vote a sticky for this thread ! 

Not a worry, it was one of the few challenges that gave me the initial idea for a one stop shop.  thanks for the sticky vote of confidence too!

Incorporating challenges into the mission system is a clever idea.  I think some of them already exist (Jool 5, the Ultimate challenge etc) but I've never seen a shuttle, or K-prize style mission.  No idea how you would handle the back end of adjudication and league tables though

 

Something I'm battling with at the moment is "What qualifies as a Heritage Challenge for the purposes of this thread".  It seems that the current qualifying indicators for what should be a Heritage Challenge might be too open to interpretation, and I'm worried that this thread will just eventually become a list of every challenge in the main challenge thread.  I'm very keen to avoid diluting the thread, and especially not to the point where it's just a massive list of all challenges good or not.

I'm going to be having a think about implementing a more rigorous qualifier set.  TOTM runs every month for example and there's always one or two challenges in there that may or may not stand the test of time.  Some challenges in their second or third iteration might also technically qualify when in reality the challenge is in said iteration not because its popular, but because its been the third time it's been dredged up and it will probably die pretty quickly.

I need to do this without the thread becoming autocratic on my part, and subject to my tastes.  If anyone has any smart ideas feel free to engage in this thread

 

SM

[nascarlaser1]

15 minutes ago, Speeding Mullet said:

I'll happily review the challenge thread(s) later on and let you know.  No need to post anything here, I know where they are

 

Not a worry, it was one of the few challenges that gave me the initial idea for a one stop shop.  thanks for the sticky vote of confidence too!

Incorporating challenges into the mission system is a clever idea.  I think some of them already exist (Jool 5, the Ultimate challenge etc) but I've never seen a shuttle, or K-prize style mission.  No idea how you would handle the back end of adjudication and league tables though

 

Something I'm battling with at the moment is "What qualifies as a Heritage Challenge for the purposes of this thread".  It seems that the current qualifying indicators for what should be a Heritage Challenge might be too open to interpretation, and I'm worried that this thread will just eventually become a list of every challenge in the main challenge thread.  I'm very keen to avoid diluting the thread, and especially not to the point where it's just a massive list of all challenges good or not.

I'm going to be having a think about implementing a more rigorous qualifier set.  TOTM runs every month for example and there's always one or two challenges in there that may or may not stand the test of time.  Some challenges in their second or third iteration might also technically qualify when in reality the challenge is in said iteration not because its popular, but because its been the third time it's been dredged up and it will probably die pretty quickly.

I need to do this without the thread becoming autocratic on my part, and subject to my tastes.  If anyone has any smart ideas feel free to engage in this thread

 

SM

perhaps make a rule like "a challenge must have atleast 1 page of entries (so bad challenges that have 1 page of everyone asking questions get left out)?

[GoSlash27]

3 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

I need to do this without the thread becoming autocratic on my part, and subject to my tastes.  If anyone has any smart ideas feel free to engage in this thread

I would say that we all know "heritage challenges" when we see them. If there are a lot of badges in people's sigs, it's a safe bet that it should be considered for inclusion on this list. If not, then it's not popular enough to be considered. Aside from that, the current criteria seem to be fine.

 Perhaps you should freeze the list where it's at for now, and conduct a poll once a month for new entries?

Best,
-Slashy